Modular bin system and bin

ABSTRACT

A modular bin system. The system comprises a plurality of panels having a first edge provided with one or more first hinge halves and a second edge provided with one or more second hinge halves. The first and second edges are parallel to each other and the first and second hinge halves are positioned so that the first hinge halves on a first panel can mate with the second hinge halves on a second panel to form a complete hinge. The panels are joined together to form the walls of a bin. The system also comprises one or more bin bottoms.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to bins or containers, such as bins or containersused for holding and displaying items offered for sale.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modular systems for assembling a bin or container are known in the art.Such systems consist of bin components from which a user may assemble abin having desired characteristics for his particular needs. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,090 to Crosslen discloses a multi-sidedmerchandise display rack. Brackets are hinged together into acylindrical structure having a selectable number of sides. Display meansare connected to the brackets. U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,973 discloses amodular panel having a plurality of spaced-apart fingers thatinterdigitate with the spaced-apart fingers of an adjacent panel havingsimilar fingers. Several panels of identical or varied configurationsmay be interconnected to form a display board or container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a modular system for assembling a bin.The bin may be used, for example, to display one or more items offeredfor sale. The system of the invention comprises a plurality of panels.Each panel has first and second vertical edges that are parallel to eachother. The first vertical edge is provided with a number of first hingehalves and the second vertical edge is provided with an equal number ofsecond hinge halves. The first and second hinge halves are positionedalong the first and second vertical edge, respectively, so that eachfirst hinge half on the first vertical edge on a first panel can matewith a second hinge half on a second panel, so as to form a completehinge. In this way, the first and second panels are articulated in ahinge joint. One or more additional panels are then added in a similarfashion. After a predetermined number of panels have been concatenatedin this way, the panel structure is closed into a cylindricalconfiguration having any desired cross-sectional shape, such as atriangular, square, hexagonal or irregularly cross-sectional shape.

The modular bin system of the invention also includes one or more binbottoms. After assembly of the panels into the cylindrical structure, abin bottom is selected having a shape corresponding to the desiredcross-sectional shape of the cylindrical structure. For example, for abin having the hexagonal cross-sectional shape, an hexagonal bin bottomis selected. The selected bin bottom is inserted into the cylindricalstructure and is supported by the supports projecting from the surfaceof the panels in the inside of the cylindrical structure. The level atwhich the bin bottom is positioned inside the cylindrical shutter may beselectable so as to obtain a bin having a depth and volume suitable forthe object or objects to be placed in the bin. At any time when the binis not needed, the bottom may be removed and the cylindrical structurecollapsed for convenient storage or transporting.

The invention thus provides a modular bin system comprising:

(a) A plurality of panels, each panel having

-   -   i) A front surface and a back surface; and    -   ii) a first edge having one or more first hinge halves and a        second edge having one or more second hinge halves, the first        and second edges being parallel to each other, the first and        second hinge halves being positioned to allow the first hinge        halves on a first panel to mate with the second hinge halves on        a second panel; and

(b) one or more bin bottoms.

The invention also provides a bin formed from the modular bin system ofthe invention and a panel for use in the modular bin system of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carriedout in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way ofnon-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 shows a modular bin system in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 shows a panel of the modular system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows joining of two panels;

FIG. 4 shows construction of a bin using the modular bin system of FIG.1; and

FIG. 5 shows bins in accordance with additional embodiments of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a modular system 1 for assembling a bin in accordance withone embodiment of the invention. The bin may be used, for example, todisplay one or more items offered for sale. The system 1 comprises aplurality of panels 2, and hinge pins 24. The hinge pins 24 are used toassemble the panels 2 into the walls of the bin as explained below. Thesystem 1 further comprises one or more bin bottoms 32. The system 1 mayoptionally contain one or more inserts 18 to be inserted into one ormore of the panels 2, as explained below.

FIG. 2 shows the panel 2 in greater detail. The panel 2 has a frontsurface 7 shown in FIG. 2 a and a back surface 9 shown in FIG. 2 b. Thepanel 2 has a first vertical edge 4, a second vertical edge 6, a topedge 8 and a bottom edge 10. The first and second vertical edges areparallel to each other. In the panel 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the topand bottom edges are straight and perpendicular to the vertical edges,so that the panel has a generally rectangular shape. This is by way ofexample only, and the panels may have any shape that allows the panelsto be assembled together, as explained below. The panels 2 may be formedfrom any suitable material such as molded plastic, cardboard or sheetmetal.

The first vertical edge 4 is provided with one or more first hingehalves 12 located in indentations 11 in the edge 4. The second verticaledge 6 is provided with one or more second hinge halves 14 located inindentations 13 in the edge 4. The number of first hinge halve 12 isequal to the number of second hinge halves 14. The first and secondhinge halves are positioned along the first and second vertical edge,respectively, so that each first hinge half on the first vertical edgeon a first panel 2 can mate with a second hinge half 14 on a secondpanel 2, so as to form a complete hinge, as explained below.

The front surface 7 of the panel 2 may be configured to receive aninsert 18. The insert is affixed to the face 16 by means of projections20 extending and from the front surface 7. The front surface 7 may havea recessed portion 16 dimensioned to receive the insert 18 so that theinsert 18, when received in the recessed portion 16, is flush withmargins 22 of the panel 2 surrounding the insert 18. The insert 18 maybe imprinted with advertising or other promotional material relating toitems offered for sale to be displayed in the assembly bin.

Bottom supports 19 projects from the back surface 9 of the panel 2, asshown in FIG. 2 b. The bottom supports 19 are used to support a binbottom 32 in the assembled bin, as explained below. The bottom supports19 may be positioned at two or more heights above the bottom edge 10 ofthe panel 2, as shown in FIG. 2 b, so as to allow the height of thebottom 32 above the bottom edge 10 to be selectable.

FIG. 3 shows a first panel 2 a and a second panel 2 b each of which isidentical to the panel 2 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The first and second panels 2a and 2 b are positioned in FIG. 3 so that the second vertical edge 6 aof the panel 2 a is juxtaposed to the first vertical edge 4 b of thepanel 2 b. In this arrangement each second hinge half 14 a of the panel2 a mates with a first hinge half 12 b of the panel 2 b. The first andsecond hinge halves my form a complete hinge 26, for example, simply bysnapping together. Alternatively, a hinge pin 24 can be inserted intothrough each pair of mated first hinge half 14 a on the panel 2 a andthe corresponding second hinge half 12 b on the panel 2 b to form acomplete hinge 26. The hinges 26 are coaxial. Thus, after formation ofthe hinges 26, the panels 2 a and 2 b are rotatable about the axis ofthe hinges 26, so that virtually any angle may be achieved between thepanels 2 a, 2 b.

One or more additional panels 2 are then added to the two panelstructure shown in FIG. 3, as just explained with reference to FIG. 2.After a predetermined number of panels 2 have been concatenated in thisway, the structure is closed into a cylindrical configuration 30 shownin FIG. 4 a. The cylindrical configuration 30 has six sides. This is byway of example only, and the panels 2 may be arranged into a cylindricalconfiguration consisting of any number of panels 2 that is at leastthree. Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical structure30 may also be selected. For example, a cylindrical structure assembledfrom 6 panels 2, may have a hexagonal cross-section, as shown in FIG. 4a, or a triangular cross-section, where for instance, each side of thetriangle is formed from two coplanar panels 2.

After assembly of the panels 2 into the cylindrical structure 30, abottom 32 is selected having a shape corresponding to the desiredcross-sectional shape of the cylindrical structure. For example, for abin having the hexagonal cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 4 a, thehexagonal bottom 32 c shown in FIG. 1 is selected. The bottom 32 isinserted into the cylindrical structure 30 and is supported by thesupports 19 on the back surface 9 of the panels 2 at a height above thebottom edge 10 to give a desired depth to the bin above the bottom 32.The bin bottoms 32 may be provided with tongues 21 along its edges(FIGS. 1 and 4 d) that fit into appropriately positioned slots 23 in theback surface 9 of the panels 2 (FIG. 2 b). After the bottom 32 has beeninserted into the cylindrical structure 30, a bin 36 is formed by thebottom 32 and the panels 2 (FIG. 4 b). The level at which the bottom 32is positioned inside the cylindrical shutter is determined so as toobtain a bin having a volume suitable for the object or objects to beplaced in the bin. At any time when the bin 36 is not needed, the bottom32 may be removed and the cylindrical structure collapsed for convenientstorage or transporting, as shown in FIG. 4 d.

An insert 18 may be inserted into each of one or more of the panels 2,either before or after assembly into the bin. If the bin 36 is to beused for the display of merchandise to be offered for sale, the insertmay contain information relating to pricing, advertising, or otherpromotional effects related to the displayed merchandise. FIG. 4 e showsthe bin 36 after insertion of inserts into the panels 2.

Other possible configurations of a bin that may be assembled from thesystem 1 are shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 a shows a bin 40 from six panelsarranged into a cylindrical structure having a triangular cross-section.The triangular bottom 32 b shown in FIG. 1 is used in the bin 40. FIG. 5b shows a bin 42 formed from four panels 44. The panels 44 are generallyoval in shape. Each of the panels 44 has a first vertical edge 48 and asecond vertical edge 49. The first and second vertical edges areprovided with first and second hinge halves 12 and 14, respectively. Thepanels 44 are assembled in a similar fashion to the assembly of thepanels 2, described above. The bin 42 has a square cross sectional shapeand includes the square bottom 32 shown in FIG. 1. The panels 44 areconfigured to receive an insert, such as the insert 18 b.

1. A modular bin system comprising: (a) A plurality of panels, eachpanel having i) A front surface and a back surface; and ii) a first edgehaving one or more first hinge halves and a second edge having one ormore second hinge halves, the first and second edges being parallel toeach other, the first and second hinge halves being positioned to allowthe first hinge halves on a first panel to mate with the second hingehalves on a second panel; and (b) one or more bin bottoms.
 2. Themodular bin system of claim 1 wherein the panels are configured tosupport an edge of a bin bottom.
 3. The modular bin system of claim 2wherein supports project from the back surface of a panel for supportinga bin bottom.
 4. Modular bin system according to claim 1 wherein thefront surface of a panel is configured to receive an insert.
 5. Themodular bin system according to claim 1 wherein the front surface has arecessed portion configured to receive an insert.
 6. The modular binsystem according to claim 4 further comprising one or more inserts. 7.The modular bin system according to claim 1 wherein the first and secondhinge halves are configured to snap together to form a complete hinge.8. The modular bin system according to claim 1 wherein the first andsecond hinge halves are configured to receive a hinge pin when mated toform a complete hinge.
 9. The modular bin system according to claim 8further comprising one or more hinge pins.
 10. A bin formed from themodular bin system according to claim
 1. 11. A panel for use in themodular bin system according to claim 1.